Transfer device for accounting machines



J. w. BRYCE 1,723,499

TRANSFER DEVICE FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed June 21, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l I gn'uentoz a 77. 13

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Aug. 6, 1929. w, BRYCE 1,723,499

TRANSFER DEVICE FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed June 21, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 amm gtoz 9144144 I N762, @51 Mafia Aug. 6, 1929. J w, BRYCE 1,723,499

TRANSFER DEVICE FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed June 21, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 so l Patented 6, g I I I a UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE,

JmEs w. isBYcE, or EtoomrrEnn, NEw JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO 'rEE ranumrrme mcmNE COMPANY; or ENmcorr, NEw YORK, a CORPORATION or NEw JERSEY.

' TRANSFER DEVICE FOR ACCOUNTING uacirrNEs.

Application medium: g1, 1924. Serial No. 7a1,5o4.

This invention relates to improvements in umns from which no amount is printed '65 accumulator devices and more parti cularly the result would be represented thus to improvements in the transfer devices of 19170. Suppose ithe desired to set off accumulators. and space the resulting record by utilizing the 3 Usually with accumulating devices it isthe previously unused wheels of the accumulator practice to have the transfer-devices fixedin and by omitting the entering of items and their general nature so that transferring opethe deriving of the total amounts therefrom erations always occur from a predetermined on columns where blank spacing is desired. wheel or wheels to other wheel or wheels. Thus suppose it be desired to enter theitems l0 Vith the usual decimal system transfers are and show the totalthus on an eight-wheel acarranged to occur from ,units to tens, tens to 'culnulator hundreds, and so on. Other systems of 19 17 0 measure or count have corresponding meth- Now if this amount were derived from the ods of transfer but in all of them the'machine addition of two items such as, l 18 56 9 15 once built always transfers in an identical and 60 1 manner. the proper total would be 19 e 17 O In certain developments in the accounting However, if the accumulatorbeof the fixed and adding machine art it maybe desirable transfer type, this result would not be ob tohave the machine so arranged that t-ranstained as the ones derived from the transfer :0 fer-ring operations need not-necessarily invawould spill over into the adjacent unused riably occur from'a given colu-mn to a predecolumns of the accumulator and would be termined other column buton the other hand lost in printing the totai. Thus the erronethe transferring operations may be. desired to ous calculation would he as shown below be effected from a given columnto, say, any 18 9 I: one of several other columns as selectedb the Item; 6O 1 operator? With previous machines suc re- A 'sults could notbe secured without rebuilding L Erroheous result 18 l6 0 the transfer parts of the accumulating mechanislm s I Here the one derived from the transfer on 11 As an illustration of one use ofthe selectivethe i cohlmh has p l Q f' 1101" transfer, I may mention a card controlled l tells column of h acfillmulatol' f printing tabulating machine having an ach total record 5 d Y and One cumulator which derives'items fromrecord from the transit?! the thousands (30111111111 cards and having printing devices for print- 5 g Il t0 tl1e ten thousands column from a ing items and totals. In tabulating it is Wlllch I10 prlnted record 1s derrved. v sometimes desirablto separate the recorded hep sent invcntlon- 1s directed-to the columns such as those showing the units and P YI IOD of 'an apparatus for handling caltens from the hundreds in order to set out a re- Clilfitiolls Such t above Out-lined and P port in a clearer manner. This necessitates ns for-securing the transferrlng op ration n 'the omitting or adding and transferring into Into y deslred col mn wl 11 'may o y any given column on the accumulator but notbe a ja e v makes it necessary that provision be made Other examples of use of my invention m3 r for transferring amounts from higher orders, be given but One only need be here mention skipping one or morintermediate orders and ll 1111 Ordinary adding machme' havlng keys ll entering the transferred items into a unit or forcentering the items it may be desired to wheel of still higher order. Asume that in y use he key captions which are rem tely an -accounting apparatus such as one of the 1 spaced from each Otheh T 'ln y be tabulating type -there is an eight wh el ac fSlIfl-blfi due'to the particular color ng of the cumulator. Normally if 5 .column totals key caps. It may, however, be desired to ef- 0 were entered into this accumulator the items feet transfers from non-adjacent accumulawould be entered inthe 5 right hand wheels tor columns into higher order columns on and a printed record derived therefrom "which items are entered from other non-adwould appear't-hus 19170 or if hyphens are jacent keys. With an ordinary adding ma- I used" to represent unused accumulator colchine even thoughitemploy the well known splitdevices such a result could not .be cob-j tained inasmuch as the transferred itemswould be lost since they would only go, due to the inherent character of transfer construction of the machine, to wheels of normally the next higher order.

It will be understood that broadly the invention is not limited to any such specific use but that it may be utilized in-accumulating apparatus of any sort and for any purpose where a so-called tied-up transfer device is rnot desirable.

Furtherobjects and advantages of the present invention resides in the provision of means for permitting the transferring of items in an accumulator or the like from selected orders to other selected orders as desired.

Further objects of the present invention reside in the provision of simple means for selectively coupling the columns from and to which transfers are to take place.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter pointed out in the accompanying specification and 'claims and shown in the drawings which by way of example portray a preferred embodiment of' the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram of a tabulating machine embodying my invention.

Q Figs. 2 and 3 are circuit diagrams showing in conjunction therewith the additions and transfers which-are being performed and il- 'lu'strate the'machine as adapted to various transferring operations.

Figs. 4 and 5 show in perspective the main elements of the accumulator with the associated transfer controlling devices.

The main circuit diagram shown in Fig. l

requires no detailed description. In general it is the same as that of other tabulators which handle record cards and sense the readings thereof and add up items therefrom.

The record cards 7 are fed in the usual way past brush reading devices 8 which connect by suitable wires to the usual plugboard sockets. Suitable adjacent sockets are provided from which lines 9 lead to the units of the accumulator devices'. The accumulator may be of anydesired type but more conveniently it is of the Hollerith class in which stationary wheels are clutched by; magnetically controlled clutches at. differential times, depending upon the perforationsin the record cards.

As a' convenient means normal 'transferrin operations in connec-' tion with adding T preferably utilize the mechanism shown and described in Lake Patents Nos. 1,307 ,740 and 1,372,965.

The latter patent discloses an. electric transfer control which particularly lends it self to the incorporation therewith of my present improvements in which transferring operations may be selectively effected from c'onnectseach contact of effecting the.

one column to any of a plurality of other columns or from any of a pluralityofcolumns or orders to a single other column or a'plurality thereof as selected by the operator.

Counters of this type embody counter wheels such as are shown at 10, 11 and 12 in Figs. 4 and 5. Each counter wheel is provided with a gear 13 fixed thereto which meshes with-clutch gears 14. Clutches 15 are provided for clutching the constantly rotating shaft 15 with the gears 15. The engaging of these clutches for adding operation-is effected by the energization of the usual counter magnets one of which is shown at 16 in Fig. 5. The means for disengaging the clutches at the proper times in the ma@ chine cycle is not herein illustrated as these parts. are fully described in Lake Patents Nos. 1,307,740 and 1,372,965. v

The invention will be explained in connection with the diagrarnmaticexample shown in Fig. 2. It will be assumed that three wheels show the amount'699; that 1 is added to the units wheel; and that the operator desires to transfer from the units column to the hundreds column instead of to the tens column as is customary in ordinary addition.

Thus the result will be the numeral 7 90instead of 700 as with usual transfers.

. On each of the respective adding wheels 10, 11 and 12, for controlling transferring operations there 19. It will be assumed that the unit amount has been added into the units wheel 12. Transfer cam 19 has rocked the contact shift or trip lever 20 J two steps forward corresponding to the two steps 21 and 22 on cam 19. The contact 23 has rocked ofl" the upper step 24 and the intermediate'step 25 andis held up by the insulated bail '26. Contact 27 has rocked off the intermediate step 28 and is now resting on the notch 29 in the bail 26. Contacts 30 and 31 are still open. .Inasmuch as it is desiredtostepthe transfer over the next adjacent adding columnspecial selective plug connections are provided.

"As shown in the various diagrams a suitable connector (or wire 32 as shownjn Fig. 1)

socket 33 suitablydisposed upon a plugboard which, if -desired, may be the main plugboard of the tabulator. The lower fixed contact blades 34 which carry one of the contacts making up the-contact pair 31,. are all conv nected to a common wire or connecter 35 are transfer cams 17, 18 and blade 27 with a plug I (see Fig. 1). Suitable removable plug wires or connectors 36 are provided, one of which in present operation is plugged between socket 33 .and socket 37 which has connected to it a lead 38 extending to wire 39 which extends .to the clutch or counter magnet 16 pertaining to the hundredths adding wheel 10;

plugging sockets 33'are provided upon each column and corresponding sockets 37 are also It will -be' understood that suitable transfer r I 'contacts 42 now closed, wire 43 to common p 38, 39 to magnet 16. and

socket 33 pertaining to the I der, i. es, from the second socket 33 from the operator.

wire or bar 35. Current thence flows through units contacts 31, blade 27, wire 32, plug socket 33, plug wire 36, plug socket 37, wires thence back by wire 44 to the other side of source 45. The magnet 16 remains energized long enough to engage the clutch 15 pertaining to hundredth wheel 10 and maintains the clutch engaged long enough to add one on the hundredth wheel 10. At the proper time after one is. added the circuit 43 is broken by the contact combination 42 and the clutch isfdisengaged.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the contacts 30 which pertain to thehundreds column are open. Thls condition prevents a transferring pulse to be transmitted through the plug connection 36 to the thousands wheel magnet.- These contacts 301are closed when a wheel reaches a nine position so that a transferring pulse is needed to the next higher or- Eler wheeL- Referring to Fig. in; will be seen that there is a corresponding transfer plug socket 37 for each magnet 16. Similarly there is a plug socket 33 for each column. If ordinary straight transfer from a lower decimal order to the next higher decimal order is desired the plug connection 36 instead of being disposed, as shown in Fig. 1, would be plugged from the lowermost socket 33 to plug socket 37 just above it and pertaining to the next decimal order. Similarly another plug connection would be employed between plug next decimal orbottom of the figure,' and extending to and plugged into the socket 37 pertaining to the next higher order, i. e., this plug connection would extend to the point .or socket marked 37 to which the present dotted line plug connection 36 extends. 1 there is a complete absence of any fixed circuit connections from any socket 33 to the sockets 37 pertaining to the next higher order.

Thus with all plug connections 36 omitted there would be no transferring operation performed inasmuch as there would be no circuit path to bring about the energizing of the magnet 16 of the-next higher order. Transfer occurs only whena plug connection is em.-

ployed and it -takes place to and from-the columns selected which are plugged up by the As clearly shown in Fig.

The circuit diagram.

L a 1 Figs. 2 and 3 show various examples of addition with skipping of columns in the transferring operation, i. e., Fig. 2 shows units sands skipping the tens of thousands-and transferring to hundreds of thousands.

The present invention isin part directed v to the provision of an'accumulating device with a transfer organization coordinated for selective diversion of transfer impulses or action as heretofore set forth. The prlnting devices wluch are adapted for coordinated use are not herein claimed nor illustrated. Such printing devices may be of a variety of types adapted to be split andv the suppression of printing in unused columns may be effected in a variety of waysas by means of the ham mer lock described in Lake Patent No. 1,501,004. dated July 8, 1924:. The explanatory matter heretofore set forth related to hu 1 termediate hyphens upon the printed record has been merely here introduced for the sake of clarity in the disclosure to more vividly point out the distinctive reasons for the particular use of the accumulator and transfer herein claimed. The distinctive character of the record would also be obtained without employing intermediate hyphens, but their em- -.ployment in a written description-simplifies the explanation materially and they have been heretofore employed in the description for this reason.

What I claim is 1. A transfer device for an' accumulating apparatus involving a plurality of orders of elements, means for suppressing the transferring operation upon any desired order of element and for selectively effecting said transfer into other elements.

2. A transfer device for an accumulating apparatus involving a plurality of elements andin which transfers are normally effected from an element to the next higher order eleind loi ver order to an element of higher order transferhas been suppressed.

3. In a device of the class described, in comof a plurality of orders, with selectively manipulatable means with provisions for effect; 'ing transferring from a unit of one order to any of a pluralityof other orders as selected by the operator.

such. transfer from the one element of which differs from that order into which I v bmation with a transferring means for an accumulator or the like embodying elements 4. In a device of the class described in combination with denominational order adding elements, transferring devices therefor, and means manipulable by hand operations for adjusting said devices so as to be controlled at the will of the operator by any one of a plurality of the adding elements.

5. Inv a device of the class described, in combination with denominational order adding elements, transferring devices therefor, and means for manipulatively adjusting said transferring devices to effect transfer to any of a plurality of said elements from a certain element of other order;

6. In an adding mechanism, in combination, means for transferring amounts to be carried over from ordcrto order, and means for adjusting the transferring devices to effect transfers from any desired orders to any other desired orders.

7,. In an adding mechanism, in" combination, means for transferring amounts to be carried over from order to order, and means for adjusting the transferring devices to effect transfers from any single order to any I of a plurality of other orders.

8. In an adding mechanism, in combination. means for transferring amounts to be carried over from order to order, and means for adjusting the transferring devices to effect transfers from anyplurality of orders to any single order as desired.

9x111 an adding mechanism, in combination, means for transferringamounts to be carried over from order to order, and. means for adjusting said'transferring means for orders as desired.

11'. In a device of the class described, in

combination with adding devices having electrical transfer devices therefor, and means for selectively associating said transferring variable and selective paths to provide permissive variability of the transfer action between varlous selected adding elements,

12. In an adding device having elements if of various denominational orders which initiate a transfer action from some elements and which receive a transfer upon other elements, electrical transferring devices therefor, and means for selectively associating said transfer devices with the various different elements from which. a transfer initiation 15 to come to provide for select ve transfor action by the selective association of the transfer devices with the elements from which transfer is initiated.

13. In an adding device having elements of various denominational orders, certain of which elements initiate a transfer action and other of whlch elements receive a transfer,-

electrical transferring devices, and means for selectively associating said transfer devices with the various different elements to which the transfer is to go to provide'for selective transfer action among the diflerent elements by selectively controlling the. destinatign of j the transfer impulses from the said devices. so

14.. T he invention set forth in claim 12 in which the means for selectively associating the transfer devices and adding elements comprise electric plugging connections which are selectively adjustable to associate the 5 transfer devices with selected elements from I which a transfer initiation is to come.

. 15. .The invention set forth in claim 13 in which means'for selectively associating the transfer devices and adding devices comprise electric plugging connections which by theirselective associations with the adding elements to which the-transferimpulse is to go, selectively determine the destination of i said transfer impulses.

In testimony whereofI hereto aflix my signature. I

JAMES W. BRYCE. 

